Polyamines



- polyamines having the atenied Jan. 29, I946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;-

IOLYAMINES Murray Senkus, Terre Haute, Ind, aeslgnor to Commercial Solvents Corporation,

Terre Haute, Ind., a corporation of Maryland -.No Drawing. Application August 24, 1942,

- Serial No. 455,932

1 Claims. (01.260-583) and R and R represent alkyl groups.

. p lyamines of the above type are readily prefollowing structural for- I pared from the corresponding nitroamines by subjecting the latter to catalytic liquid phase high pressure hydrogenation. In accordance with this procedure, the nitroamine, catalyst and a suitable solvent, such as methyl or ethyl alcohol, are introduced into a pressure hydrogenation apparatus of conventional design, such as that described at p es 29 to 45 in Adkins treatise on "Reactions of Hydrogen (University of Wisconsin Press,

1937), which comprises a cylindrical steel reaction vessel fitted with a flexible tubing for the introduction of hydrogen under pressure. The apparatus may be equipped with a suitable agitation means, and an electrical heating unit in order that operation temperatures employed. A number of such hydrogenation catalysts are described in Ellis book on Hydrogenation of Organic Substances, 3rd ed. (1930). In the majority of instances, however, I have found that the well known Raney nickel catalyst usually gives the most satisfactory results. Numerous other hydrogenation catalysts are, nevertheless, quite satisfactory and will be found to be sufliciently active under the operating conditions employed to result in adequate yields of polyamines, which render the use of such catalysts practicable from an economical standpoint. For example, nickel precipitated from nickel carbonate, and supported on infusorial earth (Covert et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 54, 1651 (1932)), or catalysts of nickel on silica gel (Holmes and Anderson, Ind. 8: Eng. Chem. 17, 280 (1925)), may alsobe employed. These catalysts are most active at temperatures above 8085 0., however, and are less desirable for hydrogenation reactions occurring at lower temperatures. In general. it will be found preferable to utilize catalysts that are active at lower temperatures, due to the tendency of the nitro-.

amines to decompose under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure.

Hydrogen is introduced into the apparatus in a manner such that the pressure exerted thereby will vary from approximately 300 to over 2000 pounds per square inch. In general, however, I prefer to use pressures ranging from between about 500 to 1000 pounds per square inch, but it is to be understood that other hydrogen pressures may be employed, their values generally being determined by the temperature used. The hydrogenation is preferably carried out at temperatures ranging from between about and 50 C., with constant agitation for a period of from one to four hours. Temperatures of from 100 to 125 C., may nevertheless be utilized provided adequate precautions are taken with respect to the hydrogen pressure used. Ordinarily, optimum conditions in regard to time of reaction,

temperature, pressure, and catalyst in any given v 4 is added to the still residue for the purpose of removing the water formed'during the reduction of the nitro compound. After all of the water is removed in this manner, the crude polyamine, if a liquid, is purified by rectification atatmospheric pressure or under vacuum, or by recrystallization from a suitable solvent, if it happens tube a solid under ordinary conditions.

The nitroamines employed as starting materials for the preparation of the polyamines of my invention, may be synthesized in accordance with the procedure described in my copending application, U. S. Serial No. 455,931, filed August 24, 1942. By this procedure, a primary or secondary aliphatic amine is reactedwith formalobserved that highly satisfactory and frequently jbutyl) -dimethylamine=gwasdissolved 1 of; methyl alcohol. selation,was;

' duced.into1afihydrogenatipnapparatus I s y ,with 5:.parts'ioi' Raney nickelicatalyst.. 2Beduc 1 -.-3hydrogenipressure of approximate1y-5 50;&pounds per square inch. Upon 1 completion of 51 3-. x

action, the crudejmixture was treated-iniaccordance with' the ,processkdescribed :in :Example "I. I The N-(Z-gaminomethylbutyl) dimethylamlne,

should be exercised to avoid temperatures which cause the formaldehyde to bevolatilized iromthe reaction mixture.

Although it may generally be desirable to reescapes thus obtained, amounted to a conversion of 86 per cent, based upon the weight of the corresponding nitroamine used.

The following. data were determined for cerduce the substantially pure nitroamines," I'havetain of the polyamines prepared in accordance a with the procedure outline above:

' Table Nitrogen analysis Compound B0111 mt 90 a Conversion, Calc'd. Found, 7 g m D m percent percent percent N-gz-amlnoisobutyl) methylamine 27. 45 27. 38 1 80 N- Z-aminoisobutyl) isopropyiamine. 21. 54 22.06 1 3 N- 2-aminolsobutyl) butylamine 19. 44 19. 23 i 90 N- i'raminoisobutyl)-l-metbylpropylamine.. 19.44 19.41 n 55 N- Z-amino-Z-methylbutyl) isopropylamine. 19.44 19. 23 a 95 N-f(2-emlnoisobuty')-l-methylheptylemine. 14. 00 14. l 77 N-(z aminoisobuty-)-2-ethylhexylamine-.... 14.00 13.87 N- 2-aminoisobuty-)-octadecylamine. 8. 24 8. 04 a 95 N- z aminoisobutyl) eyclohexylamine 16.45 16. 42 177 N- 2-amlnoisobutyl)-1-methylcylohexylamine. 15.21 15. 22 a 7 5-amino-2, 2, 5-trimethyl-3-aza-1-hcxanol Y 17. 50 17. 29 1 55 5-amino-2-ethyl-5-methyl-3-aza-l-hexanoL. 17. 50 17. 05 1 75 N-(Z-aminoisobutyl) dimethylamine 74.12 23. 83 1 N-E2-amino-2-methylbutyl) dimetliylamine 21.53 21. 57 135 N- z-amlnoisobutyl) dibutylamlne 14.00 13.99 1 0 l .N-(2-amlnoisobutyl) bis- 2-ethylhexylaminc 8. 97 8, 9o 9 7 3-(2-aminoisobutyl) 3-aza-l, 5-pentanediol iii. 90 15. 86 a 35 1 Polyamine was prepared from pure nitroamine.

Polyamine was prepared from crude nitroamine; eonvcrsi Melting point. 7 -equally as good results are obtained by subjecting the entire reaction mixture, containing the crude nitroamine, to reduction in the presence of a suitable catalyst and solvent, as described above.

My invention may be further illustratedby the following specificexamples:

EXAMPLEI One hundred parts of. N-(2-nitro-2-methyli'butyl) -isopropylamine was mixed with 100 parts of methyl alcohol and 5 parts of Raney. nickel methyl alcoholtherefrom.v Two hundred parts A of benzene was thenadded to the still residue,

andthe watenproduced from the-reduction of V on is based on starting nitroparaffln.

The polyamines or the above-mentioned type are generally either colorless, liquids or white solids. These amines are, as a rule, insoluble in water, but are soluble in the lower aliphatic alcohols, ether, and benzene. The lower molecular weight polyamines possess a strong ammoniacal odor, the intensity of which decreases with an increase in the molecular weight of the polyamine. The majority of these amines. tend to decompose on distillation at atmospheric pressure.

The polyamines of my invention have been found to be useful in certain instances as intermediates for the preparation of surface active agents. They are likewise useful as intermediates in the preparation of numerous other valuable organic compounds and compositions. jditional uses of these products will readily occur to those skilled in the art;

the'nitro'compound to'the corresponding amine,

amounted to .a conir e'rsi'on -One :hundredf parts. f in:12--.mas.

. was removed as a constant boiling mixture with I benzene, the latter being'returned to the still until substantially all of the water-had beenf-sepa- Lrated 'from'jthe-.crude '-;polyamine. vThe'residue I waslthendistilled under :reducedi pre ssure, -:and

- thefraction boi1ingaat55m5 filo; collected. The=;quantity= of; N (2 amino2 methyl 2 butyl) -isoprcpylamine. .:recovered at sem -r fperature... went. i

invention nowhavingbeen described, what a-t-en.

. at a.

e meemcmam 1 ."t gether I i V i yherfeinltis. amember selected. from the group consisting; or hydrogen, alkyl, and ,hydroxyalkyl, R is amembg'erseletated trom the group consisting or alkyl and hydroxyalkyl 'and R and RP represent alkyl groups.

4. In a process for the production of polyamines of the formula Ne N-CHr-b-IR wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and hydroxyalkyl, R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl and hydroxyalkyl, and R and R represent alkyl groups, the step which comprises subjecting the corresponding nitroamines-to hydrogenation in the liquid phase in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst at a temperature not substantially in excess of 125 C.

5. In a process for the production of polyamines of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and hydroxyalkyl,

sisting of alkyl and hydroxyalkyl. and RF and R represent alkyl groups, the step which comprises subjecting the corresponding nitroamines to hydrogenation in the liquid phase in the presence 01' a nickel hydrogenation catalyst at a temperature of between about C. and C. 6. In a process for preparing N-(2-amino-2- methylbutyl) isopropylamine, the step which comprises subjecting N- (2-nitro-2-methylbuty1) isopropylamine to hydrogenation in the liquid phase in the presence or a nickel hydrogenation catalyst at a temperature not substantially in excess of C.

7, In a process for preparing-N-(2-amino -2- methylbutyl) dimethylamine, the step which comprises subjecting N- (2-nitro-2-methylbutyl) dimethylamine to hydrogenation in the liquid phase in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst at a temperature not substantiallym excess of MURRAY SENKUS.

R is a member selected from the rou eon-'- 

